This plastic bag dissolves in water and you can even drink it

We’re told that plastic bags are bad for planet, but if you absolutely need one in your life, these groundbreaking eco-friendly new bags are now available in the UAE.

Made from cassava root and all natural resins, they are biodegradable, compostable, recyclable and they even dissolve in hot water.

Worldwide, how to solve a problem like the oh-so convenient plastic bags is proving to be a real challenge for nations. Part of a global litter problem, the pesky plastics don’t break down in landfill sites, are bad for animals and the environment and are very, very difficult to recycle.

Lots of countries have begun phasing out lightweight plastic bags through outright bans or charging at the point of sale. Many of us have now started toting a longer-lasting ‘bag for life’ to our weekly shop and with this appetite for change in mind, Kevin Kumala has created a bag from cassava starch that is 100 per cent biodegradable and even edible.

You might have snacked on cassava chips or fries, and the tuberous root is a staple foodstuff in Brazil, Thailand and parts of Africa.

To prove that the Avani Bio-Cassava Bag bag is totally natural, company co-founder Kevin, dissolved one in a glass of water and then drank it. No biggie. However, they’ve assured us that the bags won’t fall apart even if you go shopping with them at the height of the summer sweat-fest.

After successfully rolling out the bright idea in Indonesia, the firm is now accepting orders from businesses in the UAE and has a whole range of eco-friendly products ready to roll, including sugarcane fibre-based cooking utensils, cornstarch straws, paper and cornstarch coffee cups and wooden cutlery.

It’s estimated that we use 13 million plastic bags a year in the UAE and the government has discussed rolling out a ban.